The costs of utilities and other bills are going up for everyone, and it is unfortunately just the same for the Church.
Last year our basic costs were £44,015 or £846 per week (not including repairs and work on the building). The donations we received from the congregation amounted to £221 per week (including reclaimed gift aid). This is generous giving for a congregation such as ours, but still only covers about a quarter of our costs. The rest of our income is derived from hall rentals, mostly from the Romanian Orthodox Church.
Our costs in 2024 are going to be substantially higher, as our gas bill has gone up by 300%, and our electricity cost will double.
At the same time, the donation we are able to make to the Diocesan Common Fund is less than half of the cost to the Diocese of maintaining a parish church here. This means that we are effectively being subsidised by wealthier churches and Diocesan funds. The Church of England recommends that committed church members give 5% of their disposable income to their church, and 5% to other charities. In the light of this we are asking all members of St Matthias to consider what they are able to commit to giving in 2024. Please see the stewardship leaflet in this post for details and a pledge form. Thank you!
Saint Matthias Colindale 